


Cherry Bomb Pie

by NonsenseNotebook



Series: Nevada Blood [1]
Category: Game Grumps, oneyplays, supermega
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Nevada Blood au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 14:31:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11648529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NonsenseNotebook/pseuds/NonsenseNotebook
Summary: One shot for the Nevada Blood AuA bomb threat is called against the annual Phurnace Nevada Pie Baking Jamboree





	Cherry Bomb Pie

Julian is giddy with excitement as he clutches his pie tin. Today is the annual Phurnace Nevada Pie Competition. He had been preparing for it for days now, learning new recipes and techniques in the hope of obtaining an elusive blue ribbon. The pie was still warm in his lap, baked fresh this morning. He was so proud of himself, he didn't even burn down Chris’s kitchen in the process.

The jolt of the car brought him back to reality. There was still a case that needed to be solved. He glanced over at Sheriff O’Neill behind the wheel. His face was a tight grimace. It was understandable. If someone had called you in the middle of the night saying they were going to ‘blow the town and its stupid pies sky high’ , you probably wouldn’t be too happy about it. The excitement in Julian’s stomach turned into sour anxiety. Part of the reason he was even entered in the competition was to go incognito. The bomber had been  _ very  _ clear that any signs of investigation would only expedite the explosion. So he would enter, and search for the culprit while mingling with competitors, while Chris would keep an eye out while making his rounds as a judge.

He turned to look out his window, the lavender streaks of dawn fading into the blue of the day. They only had until sunset to find the bomber. Even now, it didn’t seem like enough time.

 

* * *

  
  


It took until eleven for Julian and all the judges to set up the tables and the stage. By twelve it seemed like the whole town was there.

Well.  
  
The whole town except for one person. Ding Dong. Julian waited anxiously by the gate for his alien loving friend. Over the course of the few months Julian resided in the town, Ding Dong had become his close friend, and more importantly, his crime solving assistant. He had relied on the genius conspiracy theorist to solve almost every crime since he came to Phurnace, and he couldn’t imagine having to go it alone, not with all these lives at stake.

He finally showed up at about 12:30, apparently having walked all the way from his trailer on the other side of town. Julian trotted up to greet him when he noticed it. The garish red font on his bright yellow shirt.

'OFFICIAL JUDGE'

Julian slowed to a stop in front of his friend. Ding Dong smiled wide at him.

“Hey Jul-”  
  
“You didn’t tell me you were going to be a judge!” Julian interrupted him, perhaps a bit louder than necessary.   
  
“I thought you knew? I’m a judge every year, Chris keeps signing me up for it I kinda have to.”

“No, actually, I didn’t know. It’s just-” Julian sighed heavily “It’s just that, I was expecting to have your help with this case, y’know? Are you sure you can’t like, not judge?” He looked hopefully at his friend. Most of the town was at the event, he would have a hard time trying to weed through him by himself. He didn’t want to admit it, but he would also miss DD’s companionship. His friend laughed nervously.

“I wish I could, really Julian I do, but they’re pretty strict about their pie judging, and i’m already in enough trouble by being so late.” he placed a hand on Julian’s shoulder and looked him in the eyes. “But I know you got this! I believe in you Julian.” The smile he received from Ding Dong was warm and genuine, and made his chest feel light. He smiled back.

“You really think so?”

“If anyone can do it, it's you Jules.” Ding Dong was practically beaming at him now. They heard someone shout in the distance, calling for Ding Dong. The taller man retracted his hand from Julian’s shoulder and took a step away. “That's my cue!” he lingered for a second, when he spoke again is was quiet, filled with concern. “Stay safe Julian, this town needs you in one piece.”

And once again Julian was left alone at the makeshift gate, cherry pie in hand. It wouldn’t be long until sunset. He just wished there was more time.

 

* * *

  
  


Nine hours, five accidental arrests, and two nervous breakdowns later, it was almost time for the awards ceremony. The orange sun hung low in the sky, bathing the crowd in its light. Julian was frazzled, and as he saw on stage, Chris looked no better. It was sunset and they still haven’t found the bomber. Julian pushed his way to the front of the crowd. If they were going to strike, they would do it there, now, during the announcement of the winner. He whispered a prayer to himself, he needed any help he could get.

Apparently there is some sort of desert god that answered him. A figure in a dark trench coat pushing through the crowd, about ten feet to his right. There was no need for such a garment in the sweltering heat, not unless you were hiding something. 

Julian rushed forward, tackling the cloaked figure to the ground. A startled gasp spread through the crowd, a small bowling bag escaping the suspects grasp and skittering to a halt before the stage. The man, or rather, the boy wriggled underneath Julian, struggling to get free.   


“Chris! Chris it’s him! I got him!” he called out frantically as the sheriff leaped off the stage and ran towards the bag. “Hey- Chris! What are-” Chris carefully unzipped the bag. The crowd ebbed away from them, worried and confused. “Chris, shouldn’t we, shouldn’t we wait for, uh, like a bomb squad?”   


“I am the bomb squad,” Chris replied. It made sense, he was one of only two officers in the town. “And I don’t think we need to worry anyway.” Julian’s heart dropped.   
  
“It’s not the right guy, is it? I got it wrong? And we’re all going to blow up?” He sat up, still pinning down the teen who he was so sure was the suspect. Chris laughed gently.   
  
“No, it's him alright, it's just,” He stood up, bringing a string of store bought firecrackers out of the bag with him. “I don’t think he understands how many of these he’d need to blow us all ‘sky high’ like he promised.” Chris smirked and tossed the small explosives back into the bag. He helped Julian to his feet before roughly grabbing the would be bomber.   


Julian recognized him immediately, it was one of the shitty teens that went around teasing Ding Dong all the time. Something similar to anger started to rise in him, but he was too tired to really care, and Chris was already putting him in handcuffs.   


“I’m going to take him to the station, I’ll come pick you up after the ceremony.” The irishman walked away with the fireworks and the child. It was an abrupt end to the nerve wracking case. Julian felt like there was something missing.

His thoughts were interrupted by the echoed thuds of someone tapping on a microphone. The crowd turned back to the stage as Suzy, the host, cleared her throat.

“Well,” she laughed, and the crowd seemed to relax with her. “That was exciting! Now, I believe I was about to announce the winners.” Julian’s heart lept up in his chest. He had forgotten momentarily about the competition. Anxiety crept through his body as he waited for the scores to be tallied. He looked at the other judges, trying to see if he could glean a winner from their expressions. He found himself staring at his friend Ding Dong, his head haloed by the orange light of the setting sun. He seemed upset, he’d have to ask about that later. After the winners were announced.

There was a shuffling of paper, and the crowd fell silent. Suzy cleared her throat again, loudly, to get everyone’s attention.    
  
“I am proud to announce that this year’s first place winner of the annual Phurnace Pie Baking Jamboree is-” she paused, the crowd held their breath. Julian’s heart felt like it had stopped. “Matthew Watson and Ryan Magee of our local shop, To Pie For!” applause ripped through the crowd as Julian’s heart sank. “Congratulations Matt and Ryan for your fifth consecutive win!” The sounds of the crowd drowned out his own disappointment.

* * *

 

Julian slunk away to his table, his cherry pie still sitting there, one fourths of it missing. He didn’t place, he didn’t even make it as a runner up. He stared at the missing space in the pie, a warped reflection of himself staring back at him. ‘What am I doing here?’ he thought to himself. He had a cushy job back in the city, and now here he is, in a rinky dink desert town that isn’t on any map, stopping teenagers from setting off fireworks? Getting upset over pie? He became a detective to solve big cases, to help people. Not to almost cry over losing a pie baking contest. He felt like a failure.   
  
He was about to leave, to throw the pie to the ground and storm away to his motel room, when a clipboard came clattering down next to him, accompanied by a weight on the table and an annoyed sigh. Ding Dong was back from the judges’ table.

“The stupid contest is rigged, Matt and Ryan shouldn’t even be able to compete.” He sighed again, leaning his back slightly against the table. Julian gave a half hearted chuckle and turned around to face him.   


“Because they’re aliens?”   


“No, well, that too, but they’re professionals Julian, it's unfair for them to enter. The only times they don’t win, are the times where they don’t even compete. But no one ever listens to me, nooo.” DD crossed his arms and huffed quietly. He seemed genuinely upset over it. Julian, despite his own feelings about himself, tried to think of something to say to calm him down.

“What if, um,” he was struggling to come up with something. “What if… ok I got it. What if, uh, they are aliens-”

“They are.” Ding Dong rolled his eyes at him.

“Let me finish!” Julian batted lightly at his arm. “They are aliens and like, they have, uh, mind control pies, so, so whenever-” he interrupted himself with his own laughter. “So whenever they have a new recipe for the pie, they enter the contest to test it out, and uh, and that’s why they always win! Because of the mind control pie.” He was giggling a lot now, the idea of mind control pie was too much. 

Ding Dong was quiet for a moment, considering the thought. Slowly a smile crept across his face, and then, he was laughing. Julian laughed alongside him, taking in the moment. It was a rarity to hear him laugh. It was perhaps the most beautiful sound Julian had ever heard. He playfully pushed against the man’s arm.   


“What-” he stopped to wheeze. “What are laughing about I thought you liked all the alien conspiracy stuff.”

“I do! I’m just flattered you tried to cheer me up. And come on Julian, mind control pies? You gotta be crazy to believe that.” He sounded serious, but he gave Julian a smirk as he said the last part.

“Yeah well, I wish I had some mind control pies.” Julian sighed. “My cherry one apparently didn’t turn out as great as I thought.”   
  
Ding Dong let out an over exaggerated gasp. “Julian! You’re pie was amazing why would you think that?!”

“Dee, I didn’t even make runner up, how good could it have been?”

“Julian I would kill for another bite of your pie. You didn’t throw it away yet did you?” he asked. Julian sighed and reached behind him to grab the pie, shoving it into Ding Dong’s hands.   


“Help yourself.”

Ding Dong did not hesitate, digging a fork from early out of his pocket and cutting a bite out of the desert. As his mouth closed down around the fork, he closed his eyes and let out a soft moan.

Julian groaned. “Oh stop that, you’re just trying to make me feel better, it can’t be that good.”

Ding Dong shoved another bite in his mouth and shook his head rapidly. “NO!” he exclaimed, muffled by the pie in his mouth. He swallowed before he continued. “No! It’s really good. Did- Did you even try it Julian?” He shook his head slowly. He was in such a rush that morning that he didn’t even taste his creation. “Well here, close your eyes.”

Julian huffed and did as he was told, waiting for the forkful of pie he knew Ding Dong was going to try to force him to taste. He was surprised instead by a gentle hand on his shoulder, and soft lips pressed against his. His eyes shot open, only to see his friend with his screwed tightly shut. There was a fluttering feeling in his chest as he closed his eyes again, relaxing into the kiss. DD relaxed too, sighing as he brought his other hand up to cup Julian’s face, brushing his thumb against his stubbly cheek. Like instinct, Julian brought one hand up to rest on his friend’s hip, holding him close.

They broke the kiss silently, Ding Dong panting for air inches from his face. Julian licked the cherry residue off of his lips. A perfect mix of tart and sweetness. DD let go of Julian, moving to rest his hand on the table, as he stared at the abandoned pie on it. 

“It was good right?” The taller man asked quietly, not looking at Julian, face flushed. He was confused for a second, having momentarily forgotten that he was supposed to answer about the taste of the pie.

He inched his hand slowly to cover DD’s, holding it softly. “Yeah, it was nice.” His friend seemed to blush harder at that, it was hard to tell in the now purple twilight. Julian started laughing again, and slowly, Ding Dong joined in. It seemed even more beautiful now, in the dusk of twilight, his hand under his.

 

* * *

  
  


Chris picked them up an hour later. The teen, Jeffery, was released into his mother’s custody. Apparently the city didn’t want to press charges. Normally Julian would’ve been mad, but he couldn’t find the room to care. He fell asleep in the car ride back, his head nestled against DD’s shoulder, half eaten pie in his lap, with his companion’s arm resting around his hip. His dreams were occupied by aliens, and the soft taste of cherries on his lips.


End file.
